PLANS are being drawn up for Thornbury’s new health centre.
Funding for the new health centre on the former Thornbury Hospital site was announced by the outgoing Conservative government in May, shortly before the general election was called.
It included £1.3 million to fund a “business case” for the rebuild, as part of a £14.4m total award.
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, which funds health services in the area, is working with South Gloucestershire Council, which owns the hospital site, to draw up designs for the new centre.
A planning application will be submitted for the building in the autumn, ahead of the submission of the full business case to the government in February next year.
The ICB, council and GP practices are now asking residents and patient groups to comment on them.
The new centre will provide a new home for Streamside Surgery and Severn Vale Family Practice, with 24 consulting rooms and three treatment rooms for community-based health services.
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB chief executive Shane Devlin said:
“We are pleased to be working closely with South Gloucestershire Council to bring forward the development of brand-new health centre for Thornbury, which will form a key part of the regeneration of this site.
“Once finished, the health centre will provide both practices with the space and facilities needed to enable them to continue to deliver outstanding care for many years to come.”
Council cabinet member for corporate resources Adam Monk said: “We appreciate that the people of Thornbury have been waiting a long time for new facilities.
“We are pleased to be working in partnership with the ICB to take forward this work to design the new GP surgery buildings.
“They will complement the Extra Care Housing facilities we hope to deliver on the rest of the site. Combined, these programmes will bring the site back into use for benefit of the health and well-being of the town.”
Stephanie Celso, Practice Manager at Streamside Surgery, and Susan Bryan, Practice Manager at Severn View Family Practice, said: “We are really excited to be progressing towards the development a state-of-the-art health centre for our patients.”
The plans are also available to view and comment on via a council website – although only until September 4.